(Lahatsoratra teny Anglisy efa tamin'ny volana Marsa 2008)

Tamin'ny fankalazana iraisampirenena ny Andron'ny Vehivavy, naka lahatsary fitondrana fiara tao amin'ny faritra ambanivohitr'i Arabia Saodita ilay mpikatroka Saodiana Wajiha Huwaidar, mba hisarihana ny saina manoloana ny manjo ireo vehivavy Saodiana, izay voaràra tsy hitondra fiara, ary nandefa izany tao amin'ny YouTube.

Muneeb, avy ao amin'ny Mideast Youth, manazava momba an'i Huwaider, nilaza hoe:

She is one of the leaders of the movement to overturn the ban on woman driving [with Fawzia al-Oyouni, Ibtihal Mubarak, and Haifa U.] Infact the petition last September was a brain child of her’s with the other activist. In 1990 some 47 woman drove in the capital Riyad, defying the ban. They were quickly rounded up.. but the difference b/w now n then is alot.. esp w/ all the reforms put in motion by the new King Abdullah n the fact tht lots of ppl are open to women driving. Arab News surveyed 400 women on the issue, and said 282 of them said they would drive alone if allowed to, 44 said they would continue to use drivers, 30 said they would drive, but only when accompanied by a male guardian, and 12 opposed the idea of women driving altogether.

Iray amin'ireo mpitarika ny hetsika izy mba hamadika ny fandraràna ny vehivavy tsy hitondra fiara [miaraka amin'i Fawzia al-Oyouni, Ibtihal Mubarak ary Haifa U.] Raha ny marina, hevitra avy aminy miaraka amin'ny mpikatroka hafa ny fanangonan-tsonia tamin'ny volana septambra. Tamin'ny taona 1990, vehivavy 47 no nitondra fiara tao an-drenivohitra Riyad, mihantsy ny fandraràna. Vetivety izy ireo dia voahodidina .. saingy marobe ny fahasamihafan'ny ankehitriny sy ny tamin'izany .. indrindra amin'ireo fanavaozana rehetra napetraky ny mpanjaka vaovao Abdullah sy ny zava-misy fa marobe ny olona manohana ny vehivavy mitondra fiara. Nanadihady vehivavy 400 mikasika io lohahevitra io ny Arab News, nilaza fa ny 282 tamin'ireo natao fanadihadiana fa te-hitondra fiara irery raha azony atao, ny 44 ​​nilaza fa hanohy hampiasa mpamily izy ireo, ny 30 nilaza fa te-hitondra fiara izy ireo raha misy lehilahy mpiambina miaraka amin'izy ireo, ny 12 nanohitra ny hevitra hitondran'ny vehivavy fiara.

Mbola tao amin'ny Mideast Youth ihany, Saodiana Rasha nandoko sarina vehivavy samihafa ao an-drenivohitra Saodiana.

International women’s day passed unnoticed here in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Almost all the women I talked to didn’t even know that the 8th of March was a day to celebrate women’s accomplishments.

In such a strict culture as the one we have in Saudi Arabia, it is very difficult for women to celebrate this event openly without being attacked by the conservative religious group who mostly believe that women should not set a foot outside their door steps without a male guardian in the first place.

Nandalo fotsiny ny andro iraisam-pirenena ho an'ny vehivavy teto Riyadh, Arabia Saodita. Saika ny vehivavy rehetra niresahako no tsy nahalala akory hoe andro hankalazana ny zava-bitan'ny vehivavy ny 8 martsa.

Ao anatin'ny kolotsaina henjana tahaka ny anay ao Arabia Saodita, sarotra be ho an'ny vehivavy ny mankalaza io hetsika io mivantana ka tsy misy fanafihana ataon'ny vondrona mpandala ny nentin-drazana izay mino mafy fa tsy tokony hametraka tongotra eo ivelan'ny varavaran'izy ireo tsy misy lehilahy mpiambina ny vehivavy.

Nanatrika foaram-boky, tamin'ny andro natokana ho an'ny fianakaviana, niatrika toe-javatra mahatsiravina i Rasha sy ny namany. Manazava izy:

As I was browsing through some books, I heard a man next to me repeating under his breath (astagfor Allah) meaning Oh Allah I repent.. he was asking for forgiveness for being so close to two ladies who didn’t cover their faces, that being my friend and I!
I got annoyed at his attitude and pointed out not so kindly that if he didn’t like being in a place surrounded by us women he should leave and visit the fair on the day scheduled for men!

Raha teo am-pijerena boky vitsivitsy aho, dia naheno lehilahy iray teo akaikiko namerina mafy hoe (astagfor Allah) izay midika hoe Oh Allah. mibebaka aho .. nangataka famelan-keloka izy satria akaikina vehivavy roa tsy nanarona ny tarehiny, izay izaho sy ny namako!
Tezitra tamin'ny fihetsiny aho ary nanamarika tamin'ny fomba tsy dia mahafinaritra fa raha tsy te-ho any amin'ny toerana iray voahodidinay vehivavy izy, dia tokony hiala sy hitsidika ny foara amin'ny andro natokana ho an'ny lehilahy!

Naneho ny hatezerany amin'ny tranga toy izany izy ary nanoratra hoe:

This man and many like him do this when talking or dealing with strange women (non relatives), I have dealt with several in my work. I usually discard this attitude of attempting to belittle me, since a woman is looked upon as something filthy, dirty and an object of pleasure for men to own and possess. I don’t know why I am becoming sensitive all the sudden to such actions.. I am fed up with such insults I guess!

Manao izany ity lehilahy ity sy ny maro toa azy rehefa miresaka na mifampiraharaha amin'ireo vehivavy vahiny (tsy havana), nifampiraharaha tamin'ny maro tamin'ny asako aho. Matetika aho manaisotra izany toe-tsaina tia manambany ahy izany, satria jerena toy ny zavatra ratsy, maloto sy zavatra fahafinaretana ho an'ny lehilahy mba ho azy sy hananany ny vehivavy. Tsy fantatro hoe maninona aho no lasa sarotiny tampoka amin'ny hetsika tahaka izany… Leo an'ireo fanevatevana toy izany aho, hoy aho an'eritreritra!

Manontany tena i Rasha: “Moa ve mendrika ny hankalaza ny andro iraisam-pirenena ho an'ny Vehivavy ny vehivavy Saodiana?” ny valiny dia hoe:

I was looking at it in terms of us not progressing much then I realized that we are constantly comparing ourselves to everyone around us and that is unfair to our own achievements! I am sure we have progressed although it does seem like tiny little steps compared to other middle eastern countries even.

Our country is holding on to certain traditions as if it’s hanging on for dear life, and many of us are pulling at roots that are so thick and embedded so deep in us that it is almost impossible to just extract. I see many who want to discard it the easy way by chopping at the thick trunk of these traditions not knowing that the roots are still embedded there.. they might still grow with the least amount of water. I would rather invite friends who share the passion and interest I have in this unique event, hand each one a shovel then unite our strengths to dig all around the tree to find its core.. roots.. then loosen it up. It will take more effort, patience and time.. Once I feel the ground loose around this thick, heavy and ugly tree, I will embrace it. I might even shed a tear not knowing if it’s for the pains I suffered because of its sharp thorns that pierced through my skin so many times reminding me with each scar of my womanhood, the shame in being a woman or a tear for so many women who moved on to be buried under the ground after they have been buried when they were above it; without having the chance to witness such a bright day where women embrace and are actually proud of their womanhood!

Nahita aho fa tsy mandroso tsara izahay, saingy nahatsapa koa aho fa mampitaha hatrany ny tenantsika amin'ny olon-drehetra manodidina antsika isika ary tsy rariny mihitsy ho an'ny zava-bitantsika manokana izany! Azoko antoka fa nandroso isika na dia toa dingana bitika aza izany raha oharina amin'ireo firenen-kafa any afovoany atsinanana.

Mitazona fomban-drazana sasany ny firenenay, tahaka ny hoe mihantona amin'ny fiainana sarobidy, ary maro aminay no mametraka ny fakany tena matevina sy miditra lalina be ao anatinay ka mila tsy ho vita ny manaisotra azy fotsiny. Mahita olona maro aho te-hanapatapaka izany amin'ny fomba tsotra amin'ny fitetitetehana matevina ny vatan'ireo fomban-drazana ireo tsy mahafantatra fa mbola miorina ao ny fakany.. mety mbola hitombo miaraka amin'ny rano kely ihany izy ireo. Tiako ny manasa ireo namana izay mitovy fitiavana sy fahalianana amiko ao anatin'ity hetsika tsy manam-paharoa ity, mitondrà angady tsirairay avy ary atambaro ny herintsika mba hihady ny manodidina ny hazo mba hahitana ny fotony .. ny fakany .. ary hanaisotra izany. Mila ezaka, faharetana sy fotoana izany.. Raha vao mahatsapa aho fa afaka tamin'izany hazo matevina, mavesatra sy ratsy izany ny tany, dia hanoroka izany. Mety handatsaka ranomaso mihitsy aza aho tsy mahalala fa noho ny fanaintainana niaretako tamin'ireo tsilo maranitra nanindrona imbetsaka ny hoditro izany, ka mampahatsiahy ahy matetika ny holatra tsirairay amin'ny fiainana mahavehivavy, ny henatra fa vehivavy na ny ranomaso ho an'ireo vehivavy maro izay nanjary nalevina ambanin'ny tany rehefa nalevina ambonin'ny tany fony fahavelony; tsy manana fahafahana hiaina andro mamirapiratra tahaka izao izay atrehin'ny vehivavy ary tena mirehareha amin'ny maha-vehivavy azy!